Tunde Olaniran - Second Transgression EP (self-released)

Atop arrangements of sequenced beats and synthesized bass blips, our vocalist-narrator seeks catharsis for his twentysomething anxieties. With a voice arcing from high syrupy R&B crooning down to lower, sneering half-sung rapping, Tunde Olaniran covers a lot of ground in just five songs — relationship nightmares, self-confident anthems and confrontational tell-offs belted over rhythmic blends of techno-pop and modern electro-punk. The growing pains Olanirna lyrically exorcises on this EP are informed by a life spent growing up between Nigeria and Eastern Europe under an immigrant father and social activist mother. This has led, as expected, to Olaniran adopting myriad musical influences, including soul and R&B. Known for his dynamic visual displays, the challenge for this release was ensuring that production quality and arrangements measured up to the demands of his eccentric eclecticism, which, for the most part, it does.